When did structure become a bad thing?
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| Fri, 07-30-2004 - 8:19am |
We used to live next door to a "no structure" family. The kids ran wild in the neighborhood, the mom never planned dinner so lord only knows if and when the kids ate. Sorry, I don't think that's a good way to live. My kids know we eat dinner at 6:30, so they have to be home.
I can see taht you wouldn't demand that an infant go to bed and wake up at precisely the same time, but is there ever a time to impose structure on a child? So lets say you are the freewheeling type and have always doen things whenever. What happens when you send your child to school where the bell rings at the same time every day?
As far as activities, I realize all kids are different, but when my kids were little, if we just did whatever, whenever, my kids woudl end up grumpy and overtired. My experience is that if say, we were at the beach and I say, oh heck, let's just stay later, the kids woudl be happy at first, but by the days end I would end up with whiny, overtired kids.
Maybe I'm just misinterpreting what I am reading, but I personally think structure is a good thing. When children are small, the structure includes naptimes, mealtimes, etc. As they get older it evolves into boundaries like "be home at 6 for dinner" or "you can't go into soemones house without telling me first". I couldn't imagine living without structure or boundaries for my kids.
Susan

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Wow, I guess I just have yet again a difference in how I raise my kids.
I can't figure out how I got the immpression that you didn't exercise. Oh, I know!! It's because you said "I don't exercise" Geez, I don't know why I would have thought that you exercised when you so CLEARLY stated that you didn't. Oh, maybe it's because in LATER post you backtracked, er , eh I mean said you didn't "formally" exercise. But no, wait, "I don't exercise" so clearly means what it says - no exercise. Whatever. LOL
It would be really nice if it weren't necessary for doctors to comment on the television usage of their patients but the reality is in our country, under current trends, the problems that exist stemming from television and sedentary lifestyles are too great for good doctors to ignore and allow parents to navigate their way through the choices without any guidance. You can disagree with the doctor all you want but to say it is not his or her job to be concerned with television viewing is pretty naive.
Edited 8/15/2004 11:36 pm ET ET by suzymomm
Not one thing!
Paige
Technically, it is. But it doesn't feel like exercising.
Just floating around the pool, swimming a few laps, relaxing & enjoying it. Doesn't feel anything like exercise at all to me.
Whatever on the rest of your ramblings in that second paragraph. I didn't bother to read it. Waste of my time!
Paige
I really & have wondered to why I have gotten the strong response. Puzzling to me.
I didn't go in to great detail of what we do for the first 3 1/2 hours we get home before we watch tv because I really don't feel it is anyone's business.
I didn't go in to what things I do that are not things where you just sit because I don't feel it is anyone's business either.
So I take a swim every day. Yes, that is technicallly exercise. But you know what? In the all the years, I've just never thought about it being exercise. It is relaxing and fun. It is just something I put my suit on, jump in the pool for awhile, get out & go on. I don't even think about it.
The sarcasm of a few posters (NOT YOU!!!) is wrong when it comes to hounding. I won't answer those posts. They are a waste of my time.
Paige
So when you get all offended by the fact that people "misunderstand" you & think you lead a sedentary life that you say you don't. It's precisely because you say things like "I don't exercise" and don't add anything more to it. It's not their fault. It's yours for writing contradictory things.
Okmrsmommy-36, CPmom to DD-16 and DS-14
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